Book review: Insider Secrets to Hydraulics

The author, Brendan Casey, has spent 15 years working in the hydraulics industry, and his experience and expertise show in this book. Packed with 128 pages of practical suggestions and tips, and backed up by the author's knowledge of the subject matter, this book has the potential to save many organizations lots of money. The book is brief, gets to the point, and is easy to read.

It is divided into three sections. The first, "Prevention is Better than Cure," deals with preventive maintenance issues, including highly practical discussion of oil sampling and analysis as it relates to hydraulic systems. Other useful sections relate to the commissioning of new hydraulic systems and the return of these systems to service following maintenance - often the cause of many failures.

The second section, "Houston, We Have a Problem," discusses troubleshooting and fault-finding in hydraulic systems, and gives many useful examples of how simple performance monitoring and condition monitoring techniques (including thermography) can be used in a logical manner to pinpoint the cause of hydraulic system problems. This section also gives some useful tips on how to ensure that you are getting value for money from your hydraulics technicians.

The third section, "Let the Buyer Beware," discusses how to get maximum value for money from your hydraulic purchases and repairs. Casey's experience as an industry insider allows him to highlight the many ways to avoid being overcharged by unscrupulous operators, as well as giving other insights into the structure of the hydraulic components industry, which will help readers to understand the points of leverage that they may have in negotiating better deals with their suppliers.